Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III took several hard hits near the end of scrambles in Monday night's preseason game against the Browns and came away with a bruised leg, according to ProFootballTalk.com. "When he gets out of the pocket, he needs to protect himself," head coach Jay Gruden said after the game. "He's got to pick his shots and learn how to get down a little bit better."

Fantasy Analysis:

Gruden's comments echo the thoughts of any Griffin owner who watched Monday night's game. The questionable wisdom of rolling Griffin out at all in the preseason notwithstanding, the leg issue does not appear to be serious. But Griffin continues to put himself in dangerous situations when rushing, and he has demonstrated in college and his professional career that he has a somewhat fragile body. This puts fantasy owners in a bind as the rushing talent that gives Griffin such high upside is also his biggest pitfall. The upside and the major injury risk are inseparable. Griffin is being taken as the 10th QB in fantasy drafts. If you end up with Griffin on your roster, make sure you secure a serviceable backup QB.

Griffin's definitely got upside. But I won't be drafting him. For me, QB is about reliability. I want 15-18 points every week, without downward fluctuation. I prefer to take my gambles at other positions.

Posted by:
senglert 08/20/14 08:39 AM

You couldn't pay me to draft RGKnee. Well, maybe as a backup I plug in for good match ups.

Stephen Englert has been a fantasy football enthusiast and writer for over 10 years. He is a diehard fan of the Indianapolis Colts first, and his fantasy teams second (barely). He currently lives in Naples, FL.